Category: Molecular Biology

2022-23, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology

A Genetic Change Delivered via Gel Treatment for Epidermolysis bullosa Patients Shows Promise

Melanie Karniewich ’25 Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic condition that causes serious blisters to the skin from minor occurrences like rubbing or scratching the skin. In severe cases, blistering can happen inside the body like the mouth or lining of the stomach. Mutations in EB disable genes for the specific proteins that allow the layers of someone’s skin and the lining of organs … Continue reading A Genetic Change Delivered via Gel Treatment for Epidermolysis bullosa Patients Shows Promise

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2022-23, Biology, Chemistry, Molecular Biology

Mosquito Magnets: Coincidence or Chemicals?

Peter Gillespie ’25 Mosquitos continue to become a burden on global health as rampant vectors for disease, embedding threatening viruses beneath itchy welts that are a nuisance in themselves. However, while one person might return from a mosquito-laden environment riddled with these welts, another might escape unscathed. New research from De Olbadia et al. reveals that this phenomenon is not mere unlucky coincidence, but rather … Continue reading Mosquito Magnets: Coincidence or Chemicals?

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2022-23, Biology, Brain, Cellular and Molecular Science, General Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Neurology, Neuroscience

Lack of CLOCK Regulator Protein May Predict Focal Seizure Susceptibility

By Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Focal seizure activity originates at particular foci﹣those being lobes, regions or hemispheres – of abnormal brain tissue and may emanate outward.  Epilepsy is a chronic central nervous system disorder characterized by uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that triggers recurrent, spontaneous seizures. The majority of new epilepsy cases involve focal epilepsy, in which seizure activity originates in a particular “focus” or … Continue reading Lack of CLOCK Regulator Protein May Predict Focal Seizure Susceptibility

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Molecular Biology

NSC-Derived Antibody Proves a Selective NSC Marker

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into the major types of mature cells in the central nervous system (CNS) – neurons and glia – and giving rise to unlimited generations of those cells. Alongside progenitor cells, which are descended from NSCs and differentiate into specific target cells, NSCs are critical in advancing neurogenesis, the development of neurons from … Continue reading NSC-Derived Antibody Proves a Selective NSC Marker

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Cellular and Molecular Science, Medicine and Physiology, Molecular Biology

CRISPR-Edited Stem Cells as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

Simran Kaur ‘20 CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been used to edit the mammalian genome for decades, allowing scientists to remove, add, and change sections of DNA sequences. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not have a cure that exists, but studies have shown that allogeneic transplantation of STEM cells into diagnosed patients can eradicate the virus. CCR5 is the coreceptor for the entry of HIV into … Continue reading CRISPR-Edited Stem Cells as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

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Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology

The Potential for Targeted Cancer Therapy

Aditi Kaveti ‘23 Human bodies rely on tumor suppressors to regulate cell production. The bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) RNA molecule is an important tumor suppressor for many types of cancer, including uveal melanoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and pancreatic cancer. BRD9 is extremely important because it represses abnormal cell reproduction and the formation of tumors. A mutation in the gene that produces the BRD9 RNA molecule … Continue reading The Potential for Targeted Cancer Therapy

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Health, Molecular Biology

Metabolic Reactions Activated During 58-hour Fasting

By Ellie Teng ‘21 Fasting is an ancient component in numerous religions and cultures. Individuals seeking weight loss often practice fasting, making it a prominent topic in the nutrition field. A team of scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and Kyoto University recently found that fasting comes with innumerable health benefits. Blood samples from four healthy individuals who fasted for … Continue reading Metabolic Reactions Activated During 58-hour Fasting

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Cancer, Molecular Biology

In Situ Administration of Cytokine Combinations Could Be the Future of Immunotherapy

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Rather than look outwards for new cancer treatments, scientists are beginning to look inwards – that is, inside the human body – for advanced therapeutic treatments. Although the use of cytokines, biomolecules that direct an immune response,in cancer therapy has been attempted for decades, there is still room for much improvement. In a recent study on cytokines, researchers under the guidance … Continue reading In Situ Administration of Cytokine Combinations Could Be the Future of Immunotherapy

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Molecular Biology

More Than a Structural Component: The Vast Biological Functions of Sphingolipids

By Ashwin Kelkar Introduction What constitutes a cell?  In a very general sense, the first successful cell-like structures necessitated a biological barrier that would mediate the flow of molecules into and out of their “bodies.”  What developed was the phospholipid bilayer, a semi-permeable membrane intermeshed with various proteins to regulate the passage of important bioactive molecules – ones that regulate cellular responses – in order … Continue reading More Than a Structural Component: The Vast Biological Functions of Sphingolipids

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Molecular Biology

The Intracellular Mechanics of Marijuana

By Eman Kazi At the Stony Brook Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Professor Dale Deutsch and his research team recently identified a group of Fatty Acid binding proteins (FABPs), which serve as intracellular transporters for two of the main active substances in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). This project also asserted that CBD may help reduce seizures and serve as a treatment … Continue reading The Intracellular Mechanics of Marijuana

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Brain, Molecular Biology

Understanding the Fear Circuits in The Brain

By: Ashwin Kelkar Fear and fear memory have long been a subject of study by both scientists and philosophers. Our understanding of fear and how it may exert control to the point of phobia is imperative to eventually finding the underlying cause of fear itself. Researchers around the world have tapped into the brain to try to elucidate this enigma. In a groundbreaking study conducted … Continue reading Understanding the Fear Circuits in The Brain

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